Page 68 of Lady and the Camp
We tore into her bag of sticker joy, which was enough of a distraction for me. Until I realized I needed to actually form a plan and not merely talk about one.
“Back to the fun name,” Noah said. “Since we’re all in the Midwest, how about a name that ties into that. Like Marvelous Midwest…or Midwest Marvelles.”
Marcy made a face. “That sounds like a 1960s singing group. Which is fine and cute, but none of us sing.”
“What about mavens?” I visualized the name. “Midwest Mavens.”
Jillian carefully placed a sticker on her notebook cover so it lined up perfectly with the edge. “I like it. It has flair to it.”
“So, we call ourselves the Midwest Mavens and what, put stickers in a book?” Noah asked.
“We set goals and hold each other accountable,” I said. “And give each other a boost if we need it. Or a shoulder to cry on. We commit to meeting more regularly and we have to at least talk once about our plans and goals. However small or big.”
“I like it,” Marcy said. “I like it a lot. Because I’m telling you, my family is making me doubt every decision I’ve ever made. I can’t stand my job but what I want feels out of reach. I’m either trying to keep the peace or trying not to tear my hair out. And I finally got a haircut I really like, so the thought of ruining that is added stress.”
I set my stickers aside. “Marcy, I had no idea. You’re like the glue that holds everyone together.”
“And I’m getting real tired of hearing it,” she grumbled.
Yikes. “Sorry.” I got the impression people said that to her with the expectation she would continue to hold them together. Which was unfair. “You planned this whole weekend, didn’t you?”
She nodded.
“Two surprises—for me and for Lucas.” I hadn’t decided if or when I’d spill about the changes between us, but that was clearly for another time. “You found me this job, exactly when I needed it. And made sure I could get to your place safely, and bought me the burner phone…” She’d done so much while she had so much else on her mind and her to-do list. “Thank you.”
We all hugged. It made me feel a little less messy knowing she struggled too. Not that I wanted Marcy to struggle. Just that beneath her put-together exterior, her own doubts and insecurities existed.
“We’ll help each other,” Jillian agreed. “But before that, I need to eat.”
The guys had already been assigned food duty (by Marcy of course), so by the time we headed to the owner’s cabin, take-out had been ordered with delivery on its way.
“If I know you like I think, I’m guessing you were eager to go out tonight,” Marcy said to me as we hoofed it past the office to the owner’s cabin. “We decided it would be safer to stay here. With the whole lay low theme.”
She was probably right, though I desperately needed a dip back into civilization. “Thanks. That’s really considerate.”
“Any news?” she asked.
“Nope. I got a check-in text from the attorney yesterday. She had nothing to report. Do your brothers know? And Patrick?”
Marcy’s cheeks tinged pink. Possibly from the walk since we headed up at an incline. “Patrick’s like family. I know I’ve told you that, but it’s true. He and my brothers only know essentials. I told them no social media this weekend to avoid any accidental location reveals.”
“That’s smart.” My life, how it had changed. Normally, I’d film everything and share clips to friends or fans.
“Once my brothers heard Krom dissed you with that video, I had to verbally threaten them to back off from retaliation plans. I caught Robby looking up Krom’s house on Google maps. I told him to stop being scary.”
We reached Lucas’ cabin, aka the owner’s suite, gently tucked into a wooded area. Massive overarching trees had been trimmed to frame the house, and a high fence behind it marked this end of the property line. The place was larger than where I stayed with Maggie, but more of a weekend retreat than a full-time residence.
The covered front porch held two rocking chairs. The door burst open and Marcy’s youngest (and to be honest, hottest) brother Robby held a megaphone in one hand and a sparkling soda in the other.
“You ladies ready to rock?” he called out through the megaphone.
I snorted. Marcy threw her sandal at him. He ducked easily and pumped a fist in the air. “That’s a yes!”
Music kicked in behind him from the house.
We climbed the steps and entered a cozy, woodsy space. A table by the front door held a massive amount of snacks and drinks. We still had the delivery order on the way.
To our left, in an open kitchen, Lucas waved his smart phone in front of Marcy’s older brother Matteo. “For the last time, I don’t use a flip phone!”
